Current methods for studying incipient states of dental crowding during early infancy are radiological and include the use of X-ray techniques thereby exposing neonates and young children to ionizing radiation. There is growing concern with adverse effects that may result from exposure to X-rays.
Once that danger is circumvented, the problem is to identify those infants who are at risk for developing handicapping malocculsion due to the size of jaw being too small for the size of the teeth, which shows up acutely when there is not enough spacing in the primary dentition for changeover to the larger permanent teeth, a condition known as incisor liability. Knowing that the width of the basal bone of the arch can only increase during the first several months after birth, the question is how to promote this growth of the jaw for an infant who is identified as being at risk for crowding. Once the infant's genetic potential for growth is determined by measuring an unerupted primary tooth it becomes possible to apply nutritional means for reaching the genetically correct amount of growth; however, it is necessary to control and periodically modify the calorie intake based on changing amounts of growth and the time constraint for arch width increase. It is also necessary to provide a process for automatically controlling the feeding of approximately forty percent of the infants who need large amounts of nutrients due to a severe risk for crowding.
A significant clinical feeding problem addressed by the present invention relates to the hospital care of premature infants. After the acute crisis subsides with intensive feeding measures, the attending physician needs a quantitative criterion in order to set a desirable caloric flow rate for a particular premature infant.
Another important practical problem for the physician is to utilize an acceptable criterion that will convince infant caregivers to follow professional feeding orders rather than parental zeal or prejudices, in order to avoid infant overfeeding (obesity) or underfeeding problems. Such a criterion is inherent in the invention.
The term "tooth-jaw structure" is intended to refer to the general structure of the patient inclusive of the gums. It is to be appreciated that it is the gums which are irradiated to provide outline of the unerupted teeth present in the gums.